1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an article of manufacture. More specifically, this invention is directed to a device and method for supporting an articulating joint (e.g. wrist, ankle, or knee). In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the device comprises an anatomically configured tubular sleeve of woven or knitted elastomeric yarn having concentrated pressure support for an articulating joint.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The human ankle may be injured by strains, contusions, bruises, degenerative joint diseases, arthritis, and arthroscopic operations. Such injuries may cause hematomas and inflamed areas that need to be treated. In such cases, it has been found advantageous to apply a compress of some type to the injured area to effect more rapid healing, or prevent any further inflammation or injury. Typically, support for the ankle can be provided with an Ace bandage wrap, or an anatomically configured tubular device. The anatomically configured tubular device can have an opening in the device at the heal, to permit greater of lesser degree of movement of the ankle. Similarly, a wrist support may include a sleeve having one or more finger or thumb loops to prevent relative movement (creep) of the support on the wrist while in use.
A number of patents have been disclosed in the patent literature which disclose various devices for support or treatment of a weakened or injured articulating joint. The following patents are discussed in chronological order and, thus, no significance is to be attached to their order of discussion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,877 (to Johnson, Jr., et al., issued May 19, 1992) discloses an improved ankle sprain management system including a thermal compress that may be used to treat an injured ankle. The improved thermal compress for treatment of an ankle injury includes a U-shaped pad having a compartment of flexible material that is divided into inner and outer compartments, each compartment having an outer wall and a common inner wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,659 (to Morris, et al., issued Mar. 26, 1996) discloses an ankle brace to be fitted about the lower leg and ankle of a wearer for inhibiting inversion and eversion of the ankle. The plantar flexion and dorsi flexion features of the brace are characterized by a rigidifying and unitizing external shell having a unitary member made of a rigid material. The shell includes a leg encircling portion at least substantially encircling the lower leg of the wearer, and ankle stays. The ankle stays extend downwardly from the leg encircling portion over the ankle and to the heel on both the medial and lateral sides of the leg. The ankle brace also features a metatarsal support extending from the region of the metatarsal over the lateral side and instep of the wearer""s foot to the medial side of the shell, where the shell provides a rigid post for anchoring the metatarsal support.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,626 (Duback, et al., issued Oct. 3, 2000) discloses an athletic ankle brace custom-formed to the shape of a wearer""s ankle. The ankle brace includes a hardenable brace panel adapted for being molded while flexible to the medial and lateral aspects of the lower leg and ankle of the wearer. Upon hardening, the molded brace panel provides a rigid custom fit for restricting inversion and eversion of the foot during wear. The brace panel defines an integrally-formed hardenable posterior heel tongue adapted for being molded while flexible to the heel of the wearer and extending under the heel to further support the ankle upon hardening.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,616 (to Szlema, et al., issued Nov. 21, 2000) discloses a bandage for overload symptoms, femoropatellar pain syndromes and the patella point syndrome comprising an elastic bandage cloth in tubular form with a circumferentially extending insert of a wavy knitted fabric in the front bandage portion and a pressure pad or an annular pressure pad located within the area above the patella (when the bandage is applied). The pressure pad is open towards the top and, thus, leaves the quadriceps tendon uncovered.
In all of the above and comparable devices, support to the articulating joint is provided by one or more contrivances that are engineered into the support without any thought to the complexity of manufacture or assembly, and the resultant cost to the consumer. Moreover, even the simplest of the above devices is limited in its design preference to one and possibly two joints. Accordingly, there continues to exist a need to provide a simple, yet effective device, that can be readily configured to various anatomic sites in need of support, and more particularly, to provide focused pressure support to an affected joint.
It is the object of this invention to remedy the above as well as related deficiencies in the prior art.
More specifically, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an anatomically configured device for pressure support of an articulating joint.
It is another object of this invention to provide an anatomically configured device of woven or knitted elastomeric yarn for pressure support of an articulating joint.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an anatomically configured device of woven or knitted elastomeric yarn for concentrated pressure support of an articulating joint.
The above and related objects are achieved by providing a device comprising an anatomically configured tubular body of woven or knitted elastomeric yarn having concentrated pressure support means coincident with one or more areas along said device for pressure support of an ankle, elbow, knee or wrist (hereinafter also xe2x80x9carticulating appendagexe2x80x9d). The device of this invention can include an anatomically configured tubular composite, comprising an essentially uniform sleeve of elastomeric yarn and a pressure concentrating means corresponding to one or more areas of said articulating appendage (hereafter also xe2x80x9cpressure pointsxe2x80x9d), so as to focus or concentrate pressure support at said pressure points. The device, thus, provides for both ease of attachment to the appendage and of applications of differential (increased or focused) pressures to a pressure point of the affected appendage.
In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the pressure concentrating means of the composite comprises a delimited area having a plurality of rings of elastomeric materials having relatively greater stretch resistance than the uniform sleeve with which they are combined. For example, in the case of a device for support of a wrist, the pressure concentrating means can be located either on the device just forward of the wrist on either the palm or backside of the hand.
In another of the preferred embodiments of this invention, the composite device of this invention can include multiple delimited areas along the sleeve with concentrating pressure points on the articulating appendage. For example, in the case of a device for pressure support of the ankle, the pressure support means are typically positioned to both support the Achilles tendon and the plantar of the foot.
The device of this invention can also be provided in the form of a bandage wrap (ribbon) with periodically spaced, delimited areas of pressure support means on the bandage. In such latter configuration, the bandage wrap could be pre-configured for support of a specific appendage. This latter embodiment of the invention, would permit the user to adjust the tension to his/her personal comfort level, in the case of increased tenderness or the presence of another dressing on the effected appendage.